


A Change In The Plans

by denkiisbestboyo



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drunken Confessions, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Light Angst, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:46:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24607933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/denkiisbestboyo/pseuds/denkiisbestboyo
Summary: Tsukishima thought he was ready for college. In reality, he just might have been bored of highschool.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 4
Kudos: 135





	A Change In The Plans

**Author's Note:**

> This one... I don't know. I just know that I wanted Yamaguchi to be a therapist. That's literally where the whole idea came from.

Kei looked down at the graduation cap in his hand. Simple black fabric, with an orange tassel. The dumb gown he was wearing was the same. 

His class was gathered outside, standing underneath the trees at the entrance of the school for a class picture after the ceremony. In his other hand, Kei rolled his diploma. It didn’t feel real. Cognitively, he understood that this was happening, but after dreaming about it and waiting for so long… it didn’t feel like it was over. 

But boy, was he glad it was. 

Yamaguchi, next to him, sniffled. “It’s a little sad, isn’t it?”

Kei glanced down at him. “We’re just graduating. You’ve known this was coming for three years.”

Yamaguchi smiled, shaking his head. “Of course, you would say that.”

Kei just shrugged, instead looking over the gathered class. He spotted Hinata and Yachi near the front of the group, Yachi clutching Hinata’s hand as she cried. Kageyama was not far away, looking mildly uncomfortable with the display of emotions around him. 

“You’re seriously not going to miss any of this?” Yamaguchi asked, drawing Kei’s attention back to him. 

Kei turned to look at the school building behind them. He’d spent three years in that building, learning and growing and making friends (no matter how hard he tried to get people to stop bothering him). It hadn’t been… terrible. 

There had been parts worth the stress. Granted, none of those had taken place in the school building, but rather in the old gym nearby. After captaining Karasuno through the preliminaries and all the way to nationals, Kei had to admit that he did rather enjoy volleyball. 

“I’ll miss volleyball.” He said. “But school… not really. University is supposed to be much better.”

“Always thinking ahead.” Yamaguchi smiled. “But yeah… I’ll miss volleyball too. I’ll miss being your vice captain.”

Kei met Yamaguchi’s eyes. He could see a wealth of emotions swimming behind them. Sadness yes, but also happiness. Companionship. Satisfaction. Nostalgia. 

“Yeah.” Kei said. “I’m going to miss you.”

Yamaguchi smiled sadly. “I know. But you’ll be just fine, Tsukki, I know you will. You always are.”

“Everyone face forward and smile!” The photographer called.

Kei turned to face the front of the group again, holding his diploma and his cap to his chest. He let himself smile, just this once, for all the good things that had come out of highschool. It went against his usual flat faced picture taking policy, but no one would be able to really pick him out of the photo anyway. 

* * *

Kei slouched against his dorm room desk chair, pressing his forehead into his hands. His laptop sat on the desk in front of him, taunting him with a half completed essay. He needed to take a break or he was going to get another migraine. But unfortunately, he could not take a break, because this essay was due in… Kei looked at the clock. 

9:36

A few hours. 

Kei groaned and tipped his head back against the back of the chair. 

This university bullshit was not all that it’s cracked up to be. 

The first couple days had been fine. He’d settled into his dorm and met his roommate (a chad with a mullet, but that was fine with Kei as long as he was too busy partying to interrupt Kei’s work - which he was, all the time) and gotten into his classes. He’d been happy. His professors were interesting and well informed, and the general environment was one of knowledge and growth. This was where he was supposed to be. These were his people. 

And then the honeymoon phase had worn off. 

It seemed all of his professors had increased the workload by ten, and more nights than not Kei was locked up in his dorm room, slogging through it all. He stopped answering his mother’s calls as much, and when he did pick them up he insisted he was fine (even if his sleep schedule was beyond messed up and he hadn’t been eating right and the loneliness was starting to seep into his bones). 

The loneliness was the real killer. 

Kei didn’t think it would be a problem when he’d first arrived. He’d known he was introverted and standoffish and could be rude, but that hadn’t stopped him from making friends before. But without a common interest like volleyball to serve as a foundation, he found himself friendless and unable to fix it. 

It was times like these he missed his team more than anything. 

Kei pulled out his phone, opening Yamaguchi’s contact and pressing ‘call’. The phone rang a few times before the answering machine kicked in. 

“Uh, this is Yamaguchi Tadashi, and I can’t pick up the phone right now but-”

Kei hung up before the machine could finish, dropping his phone on the desk. He sighed, just staring at his laptop and the unfinished essay on the screen. He couldn’t work, he was too… antsy. He needed to do something.

His stomach rumbled.

Eat. He needed to eat. 

Kei got up, grabbing his phone and his keys, shoving them both into the pocket of his joggers. He saved his progress on his document and headed out the door, headed towards the cafeteria. Hopefully they were still open, and hopefully no one would be there. 

The night was cool and fresh, and Kei inhaled the fresh air hungrily. Campus was quieter now, and he could look up at the lit windows of the dorms in silence, counting what he could see. Now that he knew he was hungry, he couldn’t ignore it, his stomach rumbling in the confines of his skin angrily. 

It didn’t matter though, because the walk to the cafeteria was short, and when Kei arrived, he was relieved to see the lights were still on, and people were still milling about outside. Kei walked in and swiped his card at the register before heading into the cafe proper and grabbing one of the small tables for two tucked away in the corner before going to pile a plate full of food.

When Kei came back to his table, his plate piled with steaming pasta, he was annoyed to see that someone had taken the liberty to steal his other seat.

Kei put his plate down and sat down roughly, adjusting his glasses. “There’s a million other free tables you know-”

“Ah, I thought it was you.” 

Kei actually looked at who was sitting across from him. 

He knew that smirk, that terrible bedhead. Kuroo. For some reason, Kei wasn’t as annoyed with that as he should have been. 

“Kuroo-san.” Kei amended. “I didn’t know you went here.”

Kuroo grinned, cocking his head. “Well, you were perfectly capable of asking. I would have liked to know my favorite kouhai was following in my footsteps.”

Kei shoveled some of the pasta in his mouth. “How was I supposed to ask you if I haven’t seen you in two years.” He deadpanned. 

Kuroo frowned. “I gave you my number, didn’t I?”

Kei rolled his eyes. “Because I was going to actually keep someone’s number that I didn’t like.”

“Tsukki.” Kuroo tutted. “C’mon now, I still have yours.”

Kei wanted to tell him not to call him that, but he didn’t, instead shoving more pasta into his face.

“Either way,” Kuroo grinned. “It’s good to see you. I take it you’re done with volleyball?”

“Mmm.” Kei hummed. “How’d you guess.”

“Well, I’m on the team here, and I didn’t see your beautiful face at tryouts.” Kuroo said. “And, you just don’t seem the type to want to play college.”

Kei just hummed again, eating more. 

Kuroo just watched him, an absent smile on his face. “How’re you liking university?”

Kei shrugged. “It’s fine.”

A lie. It was torture, and he wanted his friends and his school and his warm house and the blessed ignorance of being young again. 

“I take it you’re already aceing all your classes?” Kuroo asked. 

Kei shrugged again.

“You’ve grown into such the talkative person, Tsukki.” Kuroo teased. 

“I didn’t ask for you to come and annoy me.” Tsukki said. 

“Ouch.” Kuroo laughed. “You’d think you’d want some company, but I guess I should have known better.”

Kei wanted to hit himself. This was the first real social interaction he’d had in weeks and he was fucking it up.

“Still, it’s my duty as your senpai to annoy you.” Kuroo said. “You’re just lucky that you get to look at my cute face while I’m doing it.”

Kei rolled his eyes again, finishing off his pasta. “Well, lucky for me, I’m done and get to go back to my dorm now.”

“Mmm.” Kuroo hummed. “But lucky for me, I know that my favorite kouhai goes to the same college as me now, and I still have his number.”

“You saved my number?” Kei asked. 

It was Kuroo’s turn to roll his eyes. “Of course Tsukki. Favorite kouhai, remember?” 

Kei just grunted, getting up and grabbing his plate to take it to the dishwasher, as well as shoving his phone and his keys back into his pocket. He left Kuroo at the table there, resolutely not looking back at him as he left the cafeteria. 

* * *

Kuroo, true to his word, made it his life mission to drag Kei along into his life. 

He texted him non stop, even when Kei knew Kuroo was in class and should have been paying attention. He sat with him at lunch and stole his food, even though he was perfectly capable of going and getting his own. He dragged Kei along to parties and get togethers (which Kei really hated, but he supposed was really just part of the college experience).

Truthfully, Kei would have thought that all this would have just made everything worse. 

But in his own little way, Kuroo was taking care of him.

By eating lunch with him (and rambling about his volleyball diet nonstop) Kuroo was making Kei eat better. Kuroo dragging him out on the town forced him to take breaks from his studying. Kei wasn’t as lonely as he had been with Kuroo’s constant nagging. 

College wasn’t as bad as it had been with Kuroo around.

If you had told Kei back at the graduation ceremony that he would have befriended Kuroo, and the Kuroo would significantly make his college experience better, Kei would have laughed. How, he would have asked, could that bumbling idiot make anything better?

“Tsuuuukkiiiii.”

Kei looked up at the singsongy voice calling to him. Kuroo plopped down in the seat next to him, slinging an arm over his shoulders. 

“Are those gummy bears I see?” He asked, eyes glimmering with mischief. “I thought we were making healthier choices.”

Kei grimaced. “First of all, don’t try to rope me into your sports diets. Second, there is no ‘we’.”

Kuroo just tutted, stealing the bag and popping a few in his mouth. “These things are gross, yanno.” He said. “Made of pig skin.”

Kei grabbed the bag back and placed it on the other side of him, where Kuroo couldn’t reach. “I’m trying to read here.” He grumbled, gesturing at the laptop resting on the table in front of him.

“You work too hard.” Kuroo said. “Take a break.”

“I have to finish-”

Kuroo closed Kei’s laptop and leaned over him, stealing the gummy bears back to pop a few more into his mouth. 

Kei just sighed and let him. 

“Tell me about your day.” Kuroo asked.

“I went to class.” Kei said. “And then I had lunch, and then I went to another class. And then I came here to have dinner and got harassed by you.” 

Kuroo nodded thoughtfully. “It’s not harassment if it’s consensual.”

“Who said this is consensual.” Kei grumbled. 

“You don’t seem to be pushing me away.” Kuroo said, grinning.

Kei rolled his eyes, stealing his gummy bears back.

“Anyway,” Kuroo continued. “I need a favor from you.”

“I’m not lending you any more money.” Kei said.

“I need you to help me study.” Kuroo said.

Kei blinked at him. “Kuroo we’re in none of the same classes.” 

“I’m failing English.”

“Why are you even taking English.” Kei deadpanned. “That’s an elective language.”

“My mom wants me to study abroad in America.” Kuroo said. “So, I was like, yeah whatever that’s cool, I’ll take English. Except, I can’t pick it up for shit.”

“Sounds like a personal issue.” Kei said. 

Kuroo rolled his eyes. “C’mon Tsukki, help your senpai out.”

“You still haven’t paid me back.” Kei griped. 

“Tsukki.”

“No.”

“Tsuukkii.”

“No.”

“Tsuuuuuukkkkkiiiiiii.”

“Oh my god, fine just stop whining.”

* * *

Kei turned the page in his textbook, scribbling down some of the key terms and important concepts from the last page before starting this one. Kuroo, sat across from him and surrounded by a pile of English books, sighed.

They were in Kuroo’s apartment, a little studio downtown. It was cramped, as Kei had been expecting when Kuroo had texted him the address of their study date, but homey. You could tell Kuroo lived here - pictures of him and his old team (mostly just Kozume-san) were held to his minifridge with magnets. A dirty mug shaped like a cat sat on the table amongst their books. 

Kuroo sighed again. 

Kei’s eyes flicked up to him.

Kuroo sighed again, this time louder and more dramatic.

“Yes, Kuroo?” Kei asked. 

Kuroo, with that devilish grin on his face, breathily sighed again. “Oh, nothing.”

“Bullshit.” Kei snarked. 

Kuroo flopped backwards, sprawling out on the floor. “My head hurts. I need to take a break.”

Kei leaned over the table a little bit, scanning over the work Kuroo had done. There was barely anything there, and the translations he’d done were sloppy at best. 

“You’ve barely even touched your work.”

Kuroo glanced at him, frowning. “Well you’ve barely even helped me.”

“I’m not doing your work for you.” Kei said, pointedly looking at Kuroo over the edge of his glasses. 

“I’m not asking you to.” Kuroo said, returning his gaze to the ceiling. “Kenma was a better teacher.”

“You studied with Kozume?” Kei asked.

“Of course.” Kuroo said. “He’s a veritable genius. And a good one-on-one teacher.”

Kei just hummed, returning to his own papers. 

“Why’d you ask?” Kuroo questioned, propping himself up on his elbows. 

Kei just shrugged. 

Kuroo smirked, coming back to sit at the table, crossing his legs in front of him. “Jealous, Tsukki?”

Kei glared at him. “Why would I be-”

“You don’t have to be.” Kuroo cut him off. “You’ll always be my favorite kouhai.”

Favorite kouhai. Right. Kei returned his attention to the work in front of him, ignoring the fluttery feeling in his chest. That had been happening a lot lately, for reasons unknown. Kei couldn’t quite figure out who he had a crush on. The butterflies struck him in really weird times, like when he would eat lunch with Kuroo, or when Kuroo would text him in the middle of class. Kei had been trying to scout out which girl was both in the cafeteria when he ate lunch and in his classes, but he hadn’t come up with any matches so far-

Oh no.

No, no, no.

Kei could feel his face heating up. 

Across from him, Kuroo absently flipped through his book, not reading anything. 

“Do your work.” Kei snapped. 

Kuroo looked at him, rolling his eyes. “Fine, fine.” He said, refocusing his efforts. 

Kei needed to stop. Right now. He had not meant to get this attached to anyone, much less insufferable, too clever for his own good, strong, funny, devilishly handsome Kuroo. Kei had let himself take comfort in the easy friendship they had too much. He didn’t want this to happen. 

Kei inhaled, collecting himself. 

He didn’t want this to happen.

This wasn’t happening. 

* * *

Kei stopped answering Kuroo’s texts in class. He started eating his lunches in a different cafeteria. He blew off their little study sessions with excuses that he had to go shopping, or that his work was calling him in. 

Eventually, Kuroo got the message, and moved on. 

Kei still saw him sometimes, in passing on campus, or when he was out and about the town. Kuroo always pretended to be on his phone, or looking elsewhere. Kei could tell he was pretending because he wasn't very good at it. 

He was confused and hurt.

Kei didn’t care. 

He kept telling himself that; he didn’t care. Kuroo was just a friend he’d gotten too attached to. Kei didn’t want to rely on anyone, much less someone like Kuroo. He wanted to be self sufficient. He’d never needed anyone before, and he wouldn’t need them now. 

Part of Kei wondered if this was how Akiteru felt when Kei had cut him out of his life. 

Kei looked away from his laptop. His dorm room was dark now, and it must have been hours since he last looked away from his work. It was oddly familiar though, and made him think about the first few weeks of college. The constant feeling of stress and loneliness. There was a sad kind of beauty to it.

Kei didn’t realize he was crying until some of the tears got stuck on the lenses of his glasses. 

He took the lenses off and set them on the desk, wiping the tears away and grabbing his phone. Yamaguchi’s number was never far from reach, and now was no exception. 

The phone rang only two times before Yamaguchi picked up. 

“Tsukki?”

“Hi.” Kei rasped. 

“It’s almost one in the morning.” Yamaguchi yawned. “What-”

“I’m crying.”

“Oh.” Yamaguchi’s voice cracked over the line. “Um, are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Kei said. “No.” He amended. “I’m not hurt or anything, I’m just…” He trailed off.  _ Lonely.  _

“What’s going on?”

“I think I broke my own heart.”

Yamaguchi paused. “How… exactly does one..?”

“It’s Kuroo.” Kei said, ignoring how he could feel the tears building back up. “He’s here, and he was pretty much my only friend and I started to… care too much, and I got scared and I pushed him away and now-”

“Tsukki.” 

Kei stopped, cutting himself off. 

“Get yourself a tissue, I can hear you sniffling.”

“I’m out of tissues.”

Yamaguchi sighed. “Tsukki.”

Kei quickly wiped his face on his blanket. 

“You said you pushed him away?”

Kei nodded, even though Yamaguchi couldn’t see him.

“Why, exactly?”

“I just…” Kei started. “I relied on him. And I don’t… do that.”

“You were just fine with me relying on you for things.”

“It’s different when someone else needs you.” Kei said. “But I don’t need people. I just… can’t. I don’t let it happen, because I know it’s not going to turn out well, and then I’ll just wind up hurting someone again and-”

Yamaguchi cut him off. “You said again. Let’s unpack that; when you say again-”

“Stop getting all therapist on me.” 

“Tsukki, I’m going to school to be a therapist.”

Kei sighed. “It’s Akiteru. I just relied on him so much, and then he didn’t follow through on that and it broke me and now I just can’t let myself do it again.”

“Not every relationship is going to be like Akiteru.”

“I know that.” Kei said. “I know that but I can’t.”

“You have to let yourself at some point.”

Kei exhaled angrily. “I know.”

“You sound upset about that. I thought you said you liked Kuroo?”

“I do, I just don’t want to.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s strong and good and funny and clever and really stupid and annoying and makes me get those dumb fluttery things in my chest.”

“Tsukki, you already know how to fix this.” 

“I know.”

The line was quiet for a moment. Kei closed his eyes, trying to imagine that instead of miles and miles away, Yamaguchi was here with him, sitting beside him on the bed, like they would in high school. 

“I’m glad you called me.”

“I’m sorry.” Kei said.

“No need.” Yamaguchi assured. “I’m your friend.”

“I know.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

* * *

Stagnant. Still. Alone. 

Kei looked at his phone, the screen still showing his text thread with Kuroo. The last text he had sent to him. 

Sure thing. 

Even when Kei was blowing him off, Kuroo was nice. 

Kei hated himself. He hated himself so goddamn much. If he had just thought things through instead of acting like the impulsive idiot he was, things would be okay. 

He couldn’t bring himself to fix it. 

That same invisible force that had prevented him from relying on Kuroo was holding him from reaching out. 

Kei groaned, rolling over in his bed and closing the text thread, opening snapchat instead. He couldn’t think right now. 

He mindlessly tapped through stories. Pictures flashed by, Kei only catching bits and pieces of the images and captions. A picture of the sunset. New shoes. A dog. A ring. The sky. Two lounge chairs. A party.

Kei’s finger stopped. 

A party. And there, in the back of the picture, a familiar bedhead. Kuroo, grinning with a pack of beer balanced on his shoulder. 

Kei stared at the picture for a very long time before he noticed the location tag along the bottom. 

It was only a short way from campus. 

Before he could stop himself, Kei grabbed his keys and his wallet, zipping them into the inside pocket of his jacket, hopefully where they would be relatively safe. He left his dorm room, slipping through the hallways of the building like a ghost and out onto the street. 

Campus was quiet, and no one even looked twice when Kei left and headed into town. He walked along the sidewalks alone, following the map on his phone. The night chill seeped into his bones, but Kei didn’t care. He wasn’t thinking. 

He didn’t mind. 

He could hear the party before he reached it. 

It was obviously a frat house, tucked away in a little corner of the city. The music pumping from the building left a buzz in the air, masking the rapid beating of Kei’s heart. He ducked his head and meandered towards the building, looking as inconspicuous as possible. There was no one at the door when he let himself inside. 

Things were in full swing inside the house. People were dancing (if you could call it that) and drinking and… some other things that Kei tried not to pay attention to. He was suddenly questioning his decision to come here. There was no guarantee that Kuroo was even here anymore, and much less that Kei could find him in this throng of people-

Someone draped themselves on Kei’s shoulder, grinning. A tall skinny girl with dyed purple hair and too much eyeliner. She pressed a drink into his hands. “You look a little too sober.”

“Oh.” Kei looked at the drink, judging carefully. “Um, thank you.”

The girl grinned again, running a hand down Kei’s arm. “I haven’t seen you around before. You’re a first year?”

“Yes.” Kei answered. “I don’t go to a lot of parties.” 

The girl hummed. “That’s a shame.” She said. “I’m Himari.”

“Tsukishima.” Kei said. 

Himari pouted. “No first name?”

Kei gulped his drink down. 

“Ah well.” Himari said. “We’ll get there.”

Kei disagreed in his head. They most certainly would not get there.

Himari ended up dragging him around the house, introducing him to a couple people here and there, trying to get him to dance, trying to get him to talk. Kei humoured her, thankful for her company to some degree, and the endless supply of drinks she kept in his hands. Before long, he was pleasantly buzzed. 

He’d almost forgotten the whole reason he had come here when he spotted him. 

Kuroo, leaning against a wall in the kitchen, a joint hung loose from his lips. He was laughing along to some joke on the frat guys had just told, and took a hit before passing the joint to the boy next to him, letting the smoke escape his mouth and hover around his head. 

Kei was walking over before he even registered his feet moving.

“Kuroo.”

Kuroo turned to look at him, his eyes catching on Kei’s hair, his glasses, before finally settling on his eyes. 

Kei smiled, cutting into the little circle to press himself up against Kuroo, wrapping him up in a hug. 

“Tsukki, what are you-”

“I’m sorry.” Kei said. “I’m so sorry.” 

Kuroo excused himself from his friends, quickly maneuvering himself and Kei outside, away from the people. He settled them around the corner of the house, tucked away in the last vestiges of quiet around the building. Kei let him.

“What are you even doing here?” Kuroo asked, searching Kei’s eyes. “Are you okay?”

Kei nodded, reaching up to touch Kuroo’s face. “You’re real.”

“Of course I am.” Kuroo said. “How much did you drink? Did you smoke anything?”

“I had…” Kei tried to remember the amount of drinks Himari had handed him. “Drinks.”

Kuroo’s eyes flashed panic. “Okay. Why don’t we-”

Kei cut him off, pressing a hand over his mouth. “Kuroo.”

Kuroo blinked at him.

“I’m sorry.” Kei said. “I’m so sorry for being a big dumb jerk and telling you I didn’t want to study with you or hang out with you because I was lying and I  _ did.  _ And I still do. But I wouldn’t let myself because I’m stupid but then I called Yamaguchi and he said-”

Kuroo pulled Kei’s hand away from his mouth. “Tsukki, I really appreciate the apology, but I think now might be the time to get you home.”

Kei smiled. “I love when you call me that.”

Kuroo sighed, lacing his fingers with Kei’s. “We can go to my place, it’s not too far from-”

“I love your dumb hair.” Kei continued. “And your calf muscles. And your eyes. And you smile. And even your hyena laugh.”

Kuroo just looped his arm around Kei’s waist, and draped Kei’s arm over his shoulders. He walked them away from the house and started down the street, heading toward his apartment.

Kei leaned into him, pressing his face in Kuroo’s neck. “I missed you so much. I cried about it.”

“Did you.” Kuroo deadpanned. 

Kei nodded. “I did. And it was probably the saddest I’ve ever been in my life. I think. Maybe. “I love you.”

“We’re going to have to get you up the stairs.”

“I think you’re pretty.” Kei said, ignoring how Kuroo jostled him trying to get upstairs. “I think you’re really smart too. And I really like when you call me your favorite kouhai, even though I know that Kozume-san is really your favorite. Where even is Kozume-san?”

“At school for design. He’s going to write his own video game someday.” Kuroo said, holding Kei while he unlocked his door. 

“Mmm.” Kei hummed. “He’s so smart. But he’s not as pretty as you, don’t worry. I like you better, even though you’re annoying and tease me. I think I might be a masochist.”

“That’s not what masochism is.” Kuroo said, dropping Kei on his bed. 

Kei rolled over, pressing his face into the pillows. “This smells like you.”

“Do you want some sweatpants?”

“No.” Kei said. “I don’t want you to see my pale chicken legs.”

“I won’t look.”

“Okay then.” Kei said. He fumbled the pair of sweatpants Kuroo tossed to him, but managed to get his jeans off and the sweatpants on without much issue. 

“Let me take your jacket.”

Kei shrugged his jacket off. “Don’t steal me wallet, it’s in the inside zip pocket.”

Kuroo smiled to himself, taking Kei’s jeans and jacket to leave on the table. “Okay.”

Kei buried his face in the pillows again. 

Before long, Kuroo came back, now dressed in his own pajamas. He laid down beside Kei, looking up at the ceiling.

Kei rolled onto his side to face him. 

“You’re going to have a killer headache tomorrow.” Kuroo said. 

“You never told me if you accepted my apology.”

“Tsukki-”

“Please accept my apology.” Kei pleaded. “I think I might actually die if you don’t. My heart will explode and then Yamaguchi will be mad at you.”

Kuroo rolled onto his side to face Kei, smiling. 

“Of course I do Tsukki.”

Kei drifted to sleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

“Fuck.” 

Kei didn’t want to open his eyes. 

The bed shifted under him as someone moved. Kei’s head throbbed. 

“Good morning.”

“Fuck.” Kei said it again, recognizing that voice. Kuroo.

“You’re quite talkative when you’re drunk.”

Kei peeled his eyes open, squinting. Kuroo was laying in bed next to him, scrolling through his phone. 

“I’m not even going to ask what I said.” Kei groaned. 

Kuroo grinned, getting up and leaving his phone on the table beside him. “I’ll get you some water.”

Kei closed his eyes again, just letting himself sink into the pounding feeling of his hangover. It was painful, but at least it was something to focus on instead of the fact that he was in Kuroo’s apartment, after stalking him to a party and basically accosting him in the middle of it. 

Last night started to come back to him. Himari. The drinks. Kuroo. The walk home. Sweatpants. 

Kei opened his eyes when Kuroo set a large water bottle next to him. 

“Drink up.” He instructed sliding back into bed. 

Kei followed his request, taking large gulps of water. It stung the back of his throat for a second, but then the cool liquid soothed the rasp away. 

“Thanks.” Kei said. 

Kuroo hummed, opening his phone again and turning back to whatever he had been reading. “You’re welcome.”

Kei closed his eyes, sighing. “I’m sorry.”

“You said, yes.” Kuroo said. “Actually, it was pretty much the only thing you said for a while.”

“Not for that, but also… yeah.” Kei said. “I didn’t mean for all this to happen.”

“Tsukki.”

Kei opened his eyes again, glancing over at Kuroo.

He looked cautious, calculating, and he spoke slowly. “You said a lot of stuff last night.”

Kei nodded tiredly. 

“Was it true?”

Kuroo was looking at him, his face neutral, but Kei could see a wealth of emotions in his eyes. Apprehension. Caution. Confusion. Hope.”

“It was.” Kei said.

Kuroo broke into a relieved smile. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

Kuroo shifted himself closer to Kei. “I don’t blame you for being scared. I’m a scary guy.”

“You’re not scary.” Kei grumbled. “I’m just dumb.”

“You’re not allowed to be dumb.” Kuroo grinned. “That’s my job.”

Kei gulped down some more water. 

“Listen, I really am sorry for being such a jerk-”

Kuroo cut him off by surging forward and pressing his lips to Kei’s. The kiss was soft and gentle and full of emotion, and Kei melted into it. 

When Kuroo did pull away, he didn’t go far, resting his forehead against Kei’s.

“I don’t mind.” He said. “Really. I was more worried that you were never going to talk to me again.”

“I already tried that, and I failed.” Kei said.

Kuroo smiled. “Thank god.”

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr @denkiisbestboyo and @kenmamightbebestboyotoo


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